It is critical that every organisation protect its employees, customers and assets. Providing effective protection is critical, as safety and security is of the utmost importance, as well as the need to get the best value for money.
Identifying your needs
There is a myriad of security solutions available to protect organisations and as a result, there are a number of factors that may warrant further consideration.
Electronic security is likely to be a key component of any security solution, for example, protecting premises with an intruder alarm and CCTV that may be in operation internally and externally, day and night. Access control may also be a feature where restricted access to a particular area or building is required.
Identifying the needs of your organisation is the easy part and you may have received advice from your local police crime reduction officer or a security consultant. However, identifying security needs is only one step of the solution and many organisations fail to consider the next steps seriously.
Next step
Every organisation wants to make best use of its resources, a pressure that is often placed on public organisations to achieve. Costs detract from this and there is often a temptation to minimise short-term cost by shortsighted solutions. However, it is practical to note that this can backfire and end up costing the organisation more in the long run.
There is a correlation between high standards and cost. With a cheap electronic solution you may be deceiving yourself as the system may not be fit for purpose and may later lead to the expense of upgrading or even requiring a complete replacement. You can identify value for money, as opposed to cheap, later on when comparing quotes from different suppliers and when you have ensured that they are certified by a third-party.
So how do you know an intruder alarm, or CCTV solution is fit for purpose? The only sensible option for many premises is a monitored intruder alarm. A cheap bells only' system relies on someone taking action when they hear it. Will the alarm activate when you want it to or will it regularly become a source of false alarms? The police will stop responding to monitored intruder alarms with persistent false activations (other than 999 calls) and you or your staff will get fed up with those middle of the night calls to sort the problem out.
CCTV is a growing security solution and can be beneficial to many organisations. It can deter crime and identify and monitor live incidents, as well as provide evidence which may help in the apprehension and prosecution of criminals. However, to achieve this it is essential to ensure that the system meets the appropriate standards. For example, the system must cover all vulnerable areas and provide picture quality suitable for use as evidence. This also requires the recording and storing of data to comply with the appropriate standards.
Choosing the right supplier
Before any system is installed, any good installer will conduct a risk assessment in line with agreed industry standards to properly identify your exact requirements
Look for suppliers approved by the
National Security Inspectorate (NSI). Approved companies are inspected regularly by highly qualified, full-time inspectors to confirm the ongoing delivery of the highest standards. Furthermore, NSI's Customer Care service reinforces the reliability and integrity of the companies it inspects. All NSI schemes exceed the appropriate requirements of the police and insurers.
For more information visit www.nsi.org.uk. Be wise. Look out for the NSI owl.
